PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 17: Running back Shane Vereen #34 of the California Golden Bears carries the ball against the UCLA Bruins on October 17, 2009 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. Cal won 45-26. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Photo: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images

PASADENA, CA - OCTOBER 17: Running back Shane Vereen #34 of the...

Image 2 of 8

California wide receiver Marvin Jones, left, catches a touchdown pass over the defense of UCLA cornerback Alterran Verner in the second quarter Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Photo: Reed Saxon, AP

California wide receiver Marvin Jones, left, catches a touchdown...

Image 3 of 8

Cal running back Jahvid Best breaks away from the UCLA Bruins defense as he runs for a 93-yard touchdown on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Photo: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images

Cal running back Jahvid Best breaks away from the UCLA Bruins...

Image 4 of 8

Cal running back Jahvid Best breaks away from the UCLA Bruins defense as he runs for a 93-yard touchdown on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Photo: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images

Cal running back Jahvid Best breaks away from the UCLA Bruins...

Image 5 of 8

Cal running back Shane Vereen runs for a 42-yard touchdown in the first quarter against the UCLA Bruins on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Photo: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images

Cal running back Shane Vereen runs for a 42-yard touchdown in the...

Image 6 of 8

Cal tailback Shane Vereen outruns UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers for a touchdown in the first quarter Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Cal running back Jahvid Best celebrates as he scores on a 51-yard touchdown reception against the UCLA Bruins on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Photo: Stephen Dunn, Getty Images

Cal running back Jahvid Best celebrates as he scores on a 51-yard...

Image 8 of 8

UCLA wide receiver Taylor Embree, left, catches a 27-yard pass over California defensive back Darian Kagan, setting up a touchdown on the next play in the first quarter Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Cal players Nyan Boateng and Derrick Hill lurked on the sideline, trying to hide from coach Jeff Tedford. Finally, as the last sweltering seconds ticked away Saturday at the Rose Bowl, they hopped into action and dumped a large tub of ice water on Tedford.

It was an uncommonly demonstrative way to celebrate a mid-October victory against an opponent languishing near the bottom of the Pac-10 standings. Then again, Cal's 45-26 win over UCLA counted as uncommonly significant for Tedford and the Bears.

They won in the Los Angeles area for the first time in Tedford's eight years at Cal. They scored a touchdown - six, actually - for the first time in nearly a month. They rediscovered their passing game. They weathered 100-degree heat, injuries to key players and a pesky Bruins team.

"It was a pivotal moment for us, in our season," running back Jahvid Best said afterward. "This was a huge game, win or lose."

That seemed clear the past two weeks, as Cal tried to escape the stigma of blowout losses to Oregon and USC. Those defeats, by a cumulative score of 72-6, turned the Bears from national contenders to a team trying to salvage its season, scrambling to prevent an all-too-familiar collapse.

Offensive coordinator Andy Ludwig vividly conveyed the urgency during a meeting Friday at the team hotel in Pasadena. Ludwig, typically soft-spoken, loudly lectured his offense about the need to get going, "shocking" (Best's word) some players in the process.

The Bears responded by rolling up 35 points and 377 yards of total offense - in the first half. Quarterback Kevin Riley and wide receiver Marvin Jones connected for two touchdown passes, forcing UCLA to direct some of its attention away from Best and Shane Vereen.

Riley finished the day 14-for-23 for 205 yards, a tidy and welcome complement to the running game. Vereen (154 yards) and Best (102) combined for 256 yards on the ground.

It was a convenient day to have two excellent tailbacks, given the withering heat (exactly 100 degrees at kickoff). Best had 18 carries and Vereen had 17, a near-equal division of work that became vital as the game went along.

Best missed most of Cal's first possession in the second half because of dehydration and trouble with his asthma. He stayed in the locker room, drinking fluids and eating fruit - and Vereen chewed up 57 yards, ushering the Bears toward a field goal.

Vereen carried a heavy load: He also returned punts, after Syd'Quan Thompson went down with a hip pointer.

"It was hot enough to grab your attention," Vereen said. "After a couple of runs, you start huffing and puffing a little bit."

Said Tedford: "Shane was big. He left it all on the field today."

The Bears quickly made it clear they brought their offense this time. They drove 80 yards for a touchdown on their first possession, with Vereen covering the last 42 on an option pitch. It was Cal's first touchdown in 125 minutes and 41 seconds of game time, dating to late in the fourth quarter Sept. 19 against Minnesota.

The Bears didn't stop there. They uncorked big play after splashy big play, scoring five touchdowns by halftime - all of which were 24 yards or longer, four of which were 42 yards or longer.

Best offered the most memorable score, zigging and zagging and sprinting 93 yards for the longest run of his career and third-longest run in Cal history. Best took a handoff from Riley, went left, cut back right, broke several tackles, zoomed into the open field and vanished. Riley helped, scrambling downfield to deliver a key block, sending one would-be UCLA tackler to the ground.

The Bears still struggled to put away the Bruins. UCLA showed little offense in its two previous Pac-10 games, but gained 448 yards Saturday. Cal's defense found solace only in keeping UCLA out of the end zone for the last 2 1/2 quarters, when the Bruins had four field goals.

"We gave up too many points," said Hill, the nose guard. "We've got to slow that down."

Hill still understood the deeper meaning of Tedford's first win in the L.A area- hence, the ice-water drenching, a refreshing way to end a hot and satisfying day.

"It felt good," Tedford said, "for a lot of reasons."

Longest runs

Jahvid Best's 93-yard touchdown run against UCLA was the third-longest run in Cal history, and the fifth of more than 90 yards: